Condition-sensitive exhaust control

Abstract

A method and exhaust control system for controlling a vehicle, including adjusting a vehicle parameter in response to a determined ambient condition or to local time.

1. A method of controlling an exhaust system in a vehicle, comprising:
 determining an ambient condition; and 
 responsive to the determined ambient condition, adjusting an exhaust parameter of the exhaust system, the exhaust parameter selected from the group consisting of exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ambient condition is selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, partial pressure of an atmospheric component, local level of a selected pollutant, local insolation values, humidity, precipitation, wind conditions, road cover conditions, traffic conditions, local rules, altitude, and location. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a record of the adjusting of the exhaust parameter. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein transmitting a record includes transmitting a record wirelessly. 
     
     
       5. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:
 responsive to a local time, adjusting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, the vehicle parameter selected from the group consisting of compression ratio, timing of commencement of fuel combustion, timing of fuel injection, timing of fuel introduction into an air-inlet stream, valve timing, fuel composition, fuel-oxidizer ratio, air inlet temperature, air inlet pressure, number of operating cylinders, battery usage, battery charge, engine or drive-train usage of electrical energy, engine operating rate, output torque, exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising transmitting a record of the adjusting of the vehicle parameter. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein transmitting a record includes transmitting a record wirelessly. 
     
     
       8. A vehicle control system for a vehicle having an engine and an exhaust system, comprising:
 an exhaust controller configured to determine an acceptable range for a vehicle parameter for a selected local time period and to direct the vehicle to maintain the vehicle parameter within the acceptable range during the selected local time period, 
 wherein the vehicle parameter is selected from the group consisting of compression ratio, timing of commencement of fuel combustion, timing of fuel injection, timing of fuel introduction into an air-inlet stream, valve timing, fuel composition, fuel-oxidizer ratio, air inlet temperature, air inlet pressure, number of operating cylinders, battery usage, battery charge, engine or drive-train usage of electrical energy, engine operating rate, output torque, exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling. 
 
     
     
       9. The vehicle control system of  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is configured to determine the acceptable range for the vehicle parameter for the selected local time period based at least in part on vehicle location. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle control system of  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle controller includes an internal clock. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle control system of  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine time from an external signal. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle control system of  claim 8 , further comprising a compliance reporting unit configured to transmit a record of vehicle parameter adjustments. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle control system of  claim 12 , wherein the compliance reporting unit is configured to transmit a record wirelessly. 
     
     
       14. An exhaust control system for a vehicle having an engine and an exhaust system, comprising:
 an exhaust controller configured to determine an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to an ambient condition and to direct the exhaust system to maintain the exhaust parameter within the acceptable range, 
 wherein the exhaust parameter is selected from the group consisting of exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling. 
 
     
     
       15. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the ambient condition is selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, partial pressure of an atmospheric component, local level of a selected pollutant, local insolation values, humidity, precipitation, wind conditions, road cover conditions, traffic conditions, local rules, altitude, and location. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to an ambient condition includes determining an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to a predicted ambient condition. 
     
     
       17. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the exhaust controller is configured to determine an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to an ambient condition by selecting from a set of exhaust profiles. 
     
     
       18. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for the time averaged value of the exhaust parameter during a time interval. 
     
     
       19. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for a designated function of the exhaust parameter. 
     
     
       20. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for a second exhaust parameter. 
     
     
       21. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for a designated function of a plurality of exhaust parameters. 
     
     
       22. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for the value of the exhaust parameter during a probability weighted time interval. 
     
     
       23. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes a time profile for the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter. 
     
     
       24. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , further comprising a compliance reporting unit configured to transmit a record of exhaust parameter adjustments. 
     
     
       25. The exhaust control system of  claim 24 , wherein the compliance reporting unit is configured to transmit a record wirelessly. 
     
     
       26. The exhaust control system of  claim 14 , further comprising an exhaust parameter sensor, wherein the exhaust controller is configured to accept a sensor signal from the exhaust parameter sensor indicative of the state of the exhaust parameter and to use the sensor signal to direct the exhaust system to maintain the exhaust parameter within the acceptable range. 
     
     
       27. The exhaust control system of  claim 26 , wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic sensors, spectroscopic sensors, thermal sensors, chemical sensors, pressure sensors, acoustic sensors, vibration sensors, mass sensors, electromechanical sensors, electrochemical sensors, microelectromechanical devices, and optical sensors. 
     
     
       28. The exhaust control system of  claim 26 , wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is configured to measure a property selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, gas composition, vapor composition, particulate content, particulate composition, particulate size distribution, flow rate, density, force, strain, and displacement. 
     
     
       29. The exhaust control system of  claim 26 , wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is internal to the vehicle. 
     
     
       30. The exhaust control system of  claim 26 , wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is external from the vehicle.